Public Health AmeriCorps Member - Public Housing

Come join our life-changing team building hope, resilience and well-being as a Public Health AmeriCorps Member in Public Housing!

Shift Details: Full-time - 32 hours/week – Monday-Friday

Compensation: AmeriCorps Living Allowance Stipend $15,500.00

Location: Minneapolis, MN

About the job:

As a VOA-MN Public Health AmeriCorps Member, your work will focus on reaching underserved individuals within affordable housing sites throughout Minneapolis.

VOA-MN offers over 800 units of affordable housing in Minnesota. Additionally, VOA-MN offers health and social service support to over 3,500 Minneapolis Public Housing residents every year. VOA-MN believes that for individuals and families trapped in a cycle of crisis and housing instability due to extreme poverty, trauma, violence, mental illness, addiction or other chronic health conditions, housing can entirely dictate their health and ability to lead stable, productive lived.

As a VOA-MN Public Health AmeriCorps Member, you will gain valuable experience assisting participants in identifying and accessing health and well-being resources. In partnership with VOA-MN staff and those you will serve, this work will seek to address stark health inequities and provide hope to community members.

Essentials:

• Market and promote health and well-being services to individuals within assigned buildings to ensure that residents are aware of available services.
• Help lead group health sessions supporting residents’ self-management of their chronic conditions (for example: Diabetes Prevention Program, Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, Health BINGO, etc.).
• Partner with current VOA-MN CHWs as they provide individualized and sustained health promotion services.
• Help coordinate and assist residents and staff at on-site events (for example: blood pressure checks, medication management education, etc.) featuring Community Paramedics and/or Community Pharmacists.
• Conduct introductory and ongoing visits and calls with residents to set health goals, support them in reaching the goals, and connect them with resources they need.
• Coach residents to get the most out of their doctor’s appointments.
• Attend important doctor appointments with residents.
• Collaborate with other VOA services and community professionals to ensure that a wide network of resources is available for program participants.
• Assure program participant privacy is maintained by being knowledgeable and following HIPAA privacy and security regulations.

AmeriCorps Member Benefits:

• Student Loan Deferment and Interest Forbearance
• Child Care Benefits Program
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits
• Department of Education's Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Access to Schools of National Service Network for Additional Education Benefits
• Access of AmeriCorps Alumni & Employers of National Service Network
• Segal Education Award upon completion of service
• Health Insurance provided while serving

Qualifications to serve with Public Health AmeriCorps: 

• Must be 18 years of age or older by two weeks prior to your start date.
• Must have at least a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent by your start date.
• Must be either a citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident of the United States.
• Must pass mandatory National Service Criminal History Checks.
• Must not have served four or more prior terms of service with AmeriCorps State or National.
• Must speak, read, and write English fluently.
• Must have experience with professional computer skills and confidence using computers.

About Us:

As a Public Health AmeriCorps member serving at Volunteers of America-MN, you will gain valuable experience assisting individuals in identifying and accessing health and well-being resources within our Minneapolis based Community Justice or Housing programs.  Whether you choose to serve with our Community Justice or Housing teams, you will be a part of a vibrant community addressing stark health inequities, building resilience and well-being and providing hope for our community members.

Public Health AmeriCorps members serving within our Community Justice program join a team of dedicated staff supporting individuals as they overcome the challenges that a criminal record imposes, offering a support network that instills hope and imparts practical skills and strategies to enhance well-being that are evidenced-based and trauma-informed. Public Health AmeriCorps members serving with our Housing program join a team of dedicated staff supporting children and parents with flexible, voluntary on-site health and well-being services that promote stability, healing, and thriving in school, career, and life.